Most reliable pulsar ?

[Fitron]

I'm slowly but surely coming found to thinking about committing to looking for a Pulsar on ebay but I do have one niggling doubt in my mind. What's the reliability rate of these expensive beauties? I know that the 3502 sport a la barbie is the most reliable - indeed "bulletproof" has been used to describe it but I am not really a fan of it. I'd like to find out which of the earlier pulsar modules are considered the better quality ones as I really cannot afford to buy a pulsar only to have it go "phut". It still gives me a fright when my batteries die and there's no reaction when I press the button so what's the answer ? So all you Pulsar owners - what is your experience of pulsar death ? Thanking you in advance.


On a side note - I turned down the chance to buy a mint P3 with sanyo lookalike module as it was about £250 or so.

[CompuChron2]

Hi,
I "only" own a P2 ,a P3 and a Hamilton with the Pulsar module(and a few ladies but I doubt you want to wear a ladies model ), the P3 has a frankeinstein module ,it was working when I bought it (untested!) but died few month later ; note that the module was an autoset before becoming a frankie ( considered as fake by many)
The P2 and the Hamilton works great and are really reliable:34 years old and working fine.
If I had to buy one now , I'll buy a working one in a beat up case (around 200$ ) , as refinishing the case is easy and cheap(specially for GF) and a big part of the pleasure.

good luck in your bid and 250£ for a frankie is way too much as the module is the most valuable part of the watch.

[Seer Taak]

I only have one Pulsar, and like you Fitron Fiend, I waited a good while before dipping my toe in, but now i'm a big fan. It oozes quality, and solidity :) Mine's a GF P3, and I wear it all the time. It is a bit of a frankie - it had a DOW Pulsar module, with the bottom DOW section disabled, but it has been trouble free, and I figure if this frankie is so good, a pure watch & module might even be better!! It's also very reliable, as long as the batteries are not too worn down. The display is also very bright and clear, better than any other i've seen. The only downside is that the auto command mechanism works a bit too well, and so I find the bateries can wear down a lot faster than my other watches. For that reason, the next Pulsar I buy, to wear, will be a non auto flick. Maybe I should just learn to not wave my arm around so much :?

[Seer Taak]

Doh..stupid me. Mine is a P4, not a P3 hmm

[bruce wegmann]

The only Pulsar I have ever had die on me was a P4 AutoSet Executive [out of approximately 150 watches]. One day it worked fine, the next, totally dead; no artifice at my disposal could revive it. I would say all Pulsars are pretty well-built, but you have to remember, we are a third of a century out on the ageing curve, and we are seeing failure modes that Time Computer never did, because the watches didn't have time to get very old [5 years or so, at most], before they closed their doors forever. I would say, the best indicator of probable future lifespan is how clean the module is; in particular, there should be little or no trace of deterioration of the paper labels in the battery compartments [especially the side that says "+ side up"]. That side had the battery seal down, and if there was any leakage, the corrosive liquid would be released directly onto the paper, which would then begin to disintegrate [the degree of deterioration can give you a rough idea how long the process has been going on]. The liquid would also begin to give off equally corrosive vapors, which would then diffuse throughout the case, setting in motion all manner of slow, but destructive, chemical processes [I have seen the gold traces actually peeling off the ceramic circuit board]. Solder breaks down, and even the wire bonds can be eaten through, causing open circuits. My guess is, any watch left for ten or twenty years, with a set of leaking batteries sealed in the case, is certainly ultimately doomed to some sort of chemically-induced electrical breakdown. If it weren't for that [and the ever-present danger of static electricity], most Pulsars might have made it to their hundredth birthday, as their designers intended; as it is, maybe a few percent will, if we're to judge by the relative number of working specimens available now. The module is the heart and soul of the watch, so it's worth being a bit picky about what you buy. Then again, if you're likely to start biting your nails, or losing sleep worrying about whether your watch is still working or not, vintage LED collecting might not be the best hobby of choice. Because of their age, there is a certain definable element of risk to owning one; you have to make a personal decision as to whether or not to assume that risk. I have never regretted doing so. For me, the bottom line was always "they are just SO cool...".

[richard_uk]

I've got a franken P3 in SS that I might consider letting go cheap (or trade for something else), the module is a Sanyo conversion that I built myself about 2 years ago or more, it's worked perfect since building it, I just never seem to wear it anymore as I can't get my V-Tec of my wrist :) there's some photos of it around here somewhere.

[richard_uk]

http://dwf.nu/viewtopic.php?t=623&highlight=

[Planet-LED]

I've had very good luck with my P3 modules. They have all been reliable. The only things I've had to replace were crystals and reed switches.

If I were to buy a P3, I would buy a Date II or a stainless steel Date Command with solid (not hollow) links. The hollow links stretch and get sloppy with age. The Date II and my stainless steel Date Command with solid links seem as though the bands will last forever.

Finally, your choice may be influenced by your physical size. I am a bodybuilder. The Sport, and even the Executive, look too small on me. If you are of a larger frame build, or have big forearms, you will probably find that the Date Command looks best on you.

[Fitron]

Thanks for your inputs everyone, they've all be helpful. After Bruce's thoughtful and thought provoking post I reckon they are worth owning. The design is second to none and will remain so - it's truly timeless and I love it. Now I just need to sell a couple of more watches to pay for one - a single pusher P2 with a leather strap is what I'm going for. I will not buy the first few that I see unless they are truly an opportunity to good to miss and I'll be patient. It's a good time to buy as the dollar is so weak at the moment 8)

As to why I decided they are worth the risk - one of my watches went on the blink last night and I shrugged and thought "batteries". I was right so I feel that I've entered the zen stage of watch doom. If it happens there was nothing I could do (apart from make sure I'm earthed :P ).

As for wrist size - I'm the anti-popeye - I'm stuck with 6 3/4" wrists no matter what wrist exercises I do.........

[Planet-LED]

Fitron Fiend,

My only comment about the P2 with a leather strap is that the strap is very specific to that watch. You can't go out and easily replace it. If you go to www.oldpulsars.com, you can click on "models" and see a picture of the strap.

You might be happier, in the long run, with a stainless steel bracelet. I own one and it is a very comfortable watch.

[Fitron]

Call me f.f. I feel we know each other well enough now :wink: What you say is true but I would like to replace the clasp with a butterfly clasp or some such like as to reduce wear and tear. I've also been informed that it's possible to make your own with a minimal amount of tools - ie a scalpel and some stitching on a stock band. That's the plan anyway.....